Kendrick Lamar’s comment that black Americans need to have respect for themselves is the dumbest thing Azealia Banks has ever heard a black man say, she claims
Kendrick Lamar has provoked a a furious back-and-forth on Twitter between fellow rappers after talking about the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson in an interview with Billboard.
“I wish somebody would look in our neighborhood knowing that it’s already a situation, mentally, where it’s fucked up,” Lamar told the magazine. “What happened to [Michael Brown] should’ve never happened. Never. But when we don’t have respect for ourselves, how do we expect them to respect us? It starts from within. Don’t start with just a rally, don’t start from looting – it starts from within.”
Within hours of publication, that prompted Azealia Banks to respond furiously.
She followed that initial tweet with a series of follow-ups. “Lol do you know about the generational effects of poverty, racism and discrimination?” she wrote. “There are things in society that benefit a select few of us. fine.... But don’t put down the rest by saying they don’t respect themselves.” And then: “HOW DARE YOU open ur face to a white publication and tell them that we don’t respect ourselves.... Speak for your fucking self.”
Some time later she made another Tweet that appeared to make reference to Lamar’s remarks.
She was joined in her disapproval on Saturday by Kid Cudi, who tweeted: “Dear black artists, dont talk down on the black community like you are Gods gift to niggaz everywhere.” He added: “If you wanna help, inspire, uplift, don’t point the blame and talk down.”
That prompted Lupe Fiasco to leap to Lamar’s defence.
“I just find it absurd that a hypocritical backstabbing ass nigga like him is tryin 2 tell otha artists how 2 carry themselves,” Lupe Fiasco added.
His replies, inevitably, spurred Banks back into action.
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